Managing Windows Updates with Intune: Best Practices with Update Rings

Keeping Windows devices up to date is one of the most critical, and often most overlooked, aspects of endpoint security.

With Microsoft Intune, you can manage Windows updates centrally using Update Rings, giving you control over when updates install, how users experience restarts, and how you test updates before broad deployment.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through:

• What update rings are
• Why they’re essential for patch compliance
• How to configure them in Intune
• Best practices for rollout and user experience

1. What Are Windows Update Rings in Intune?

Update rings in Intune allow you to:

• Define when and how Windows updates are delivered
• Set deadlines for installation and restarts
• Delay feature updates (e.g., to test before production)
• Control user experience during updates

They apply to Windows 10 and 11 devices enrolled in Intune, including those provisioned via Autopilot.

2. Why Update Management Matters

Without structured update management, you risk:

• Devices missing critical security patches
• Feature updates disrupting user workflows
• Inconsistent OS versions across the environment
• Lost productivity due to unexpected reboots

Update rings give you the ability to plan ahead and ensure compliance, without user frustration.

3. Key Settings You Can Control

When creating a Windows Update Ring, you’ll configure:

• Update channel: Semi-Annual Channel (default for business)
• Deferral periods: Delay feature or quality updates by X days
• Deadline settings: Set how many days after release before forced install
• Restart behavior: Allow grace period, auto-restart, or prompt users
• User experience: Control restart warnings, snooze, and active hours
• Update scan frequency: How often the device checks for updates

4. How to Create and Assign an Update Ring in Intune

Step 1: Go to the Intune Admin Center https://intune.microsoft.com

Step 2: Navigate to: Devices > Windows > Update rings for Windows 10 and later

Step 3: Click + Create Profile

• Name the profile (e.g., “Pilot Ring – 7 Day Deferral”)
• Choose settings as per your test or production policy

Step 4: Assign the update ring to a device group

• Use dynamic groups for “Pilot” vs. “Production”
• Example group names: “Intune-Windows-Pilot”, “Intune-Windows-Prod”

Step 5: Monitor status in: Devices > Monitor > Windows Update Reports

5. Best Practices for Using Update Rings

• Create at least two rings:
• Use feature update deferrals:
• Set realistic deadlines + grace periods:
• Monitor compliance regularly:
• Exclude critical systems from early rings:

6. Tools to Enhance Update Management

• Windows Update for Business Reports
• Feature Update Policies
• Intune + Endpoint Analytics

With proper use of Update Rings in Intune, you can maintain security, reduce help desk tickets, and deliver updates in a way that respects user productivity.

Start small, test first, and scale your rings as you gain confidence — that’s the modern way to manage Windows updates.